Conservationists are celebrating the discovery and release of six critically endangered species. Mekong giant catfish In Cambodia
I bumper catch Mekong River Basin Critics have raised hopes of a recovery. Endangered speciesIt is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.
The fishermen, along with Cambodian Fisheries Administration (CFA) officials, released the fish as they caught the animals – each weighing up to 130 kilograms (287 pounds).
What does giant mean?
The USAID-funded Wonders of the Mekong conservation group said catching such a large catfish in just five days was “a remarkable and unprecedented event”.
“I’ve never heard of that before,” said Zeb Hogan, a research biologist and project lead at the University of Nevada.
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“This is a promising sign that the species is not near, as in the next few years, at risk of extinction, giving time to implement conservation activities and move away from decline and toward recovery.”
“By tagging these fish, we get important information about their ecology, their migration, their habitat… to help these fish survive into the future,” Hogan said. said
How bad is the plight of the giant Mekong catfish?
According to the IUCN Red List, the current population of the giant Mekong catfish is unknown but is believed to have declined by about 80% in the past 13 years.
Now they are found only in parts of the Mekong River and its tributaries, but in the past they inhabited the 4,900 km (3,044 mi) length of the river – from its outlet in Vietnam to its mouth in the Chinese province. Up to the height. Yunnan.
The Mekong, an important Southeast Asian waterway, has long suffered from illegal fishing, habitat loss and plastic waste.
In addition, the Mekong River Basin has become a difficult habitat to survive due to dams, including so-called mega-dams, and climate change. They have had a devastating impact on water levels and upstream connectivity in the aquatic habitat of the critically endangered catfish.